Thinopyrum junceiforme

Strongly rhizomatous, often glaucous perennial. Culms erect, to 40 cm high, hardly exceeding upper leaves. Leaf-blades flat or convolute, often pungent-pointed, to 40 cm long, 1–5 mm wide, smooth and glabrous on the lower (outer) surface, finely scabrous-pubescent along the nerves on the upper (inner) surface; sheaths smooth and glabrous; ligules truncate, membranous or minutely ciliate at apex, c. 1 mm long; auricles not developed. Inflorescence a distichous spike, 7–30 cm long of 2–12 spikelets; rachis glabrous, breaking at nodes at maturity. Spikelets 4–9-flowered, 14–26 mm long; glumes obtuse or toothed at apex, 10–18 mm long, subequal or the upper longer by up to 2 mm, asymmetrically keeled; lemma lanceolate, 10–18 mm long, keeled toward apex, smooth, obtuse, or emarginate and shortly mucronate; palea subequal to lemma; anthers 5–8 mm long. Flowers Dec.